JP2002098561A - Pointer instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pointer instrument enabling two coaxial displays at a cost as low as possible and allowing both pointers to be lightened by introduction of light from the opposite side to an observer. SOLUTION: In this pointer instrument, one pointer axis 8 is eccentrically and the other pointer axis 3 is concentrically located for both of concentric scales 1 and 2. A pointer located on the eccentric pointer axis 8 is formed as an optical pointer 6, which is placed on the eccentric pointer axis 8 in its radial direction and contains a photoconductor 7 rotatable with the pointer axis 8 and a photoconductor system produced from a fixed photoconductor 11. The photoconductor system and the fixed photoconductor 11 are respectively guided to each corresponding display element on the concentric scale 2, with a small space against the free end movement orbit of the rotatable photoconductor 7 as its origination.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates in particular to a pointer instrument of a motor vehicle, comprising two pointer shafts, each driven by its own pointer drive, arranged concentrically with each other for one of the pointers. Of a type having two defined scales.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Pointing instruments of the type described above are generally known and commonly used. Since both pointer drives can only be arranged side by side at a profitable cost and for space reasons,
The pointer axes extend at a distance from each other. In response,
The two pointer tips move on an arc eccentric to each other, so that the graduations must also be arranged eccentric to each other. However, this non-concentric arrangement of the graduations often leads to an undesirably large display instrument and also causes the two graduations to overlap one another.

[0003] From the timepiece, the pointer shaft is formed as a hollow shaft,
It is known to dispose a second pointer shaft within this hollow shaft. According to this, it is possible to provide one hand for each hand axis, in which case the two hands can pivot above the scales arranged concentrically with each other.

[0004] In a pointer instrument of a motor vehicle, a pointer shaft formed as a hollow shaft is moved from one side to the other by a pointer driving device for driving an inner pointer shaft via two gears, as described above. Driving in the lateral direction is already known. This makes it possible for the pointer instrument to have two hands which are concentrically aligned with one another, are pivotable above a concentric scale and are driven independently of one another. However, the construction of such a gear transmission is uneconomical and reduces the kinematics of the display. This is because in this case two additional gears must be driven by the pointer drive and a relatively high frictional force is generated. Moreover,
It is not possible to illuminate the hollow shaft pointer by introducing light into the pointer.

[0005]

An object of the present invention is to provide two coaxial displays with as little cost as possible, both of which have as little inertia and thus high mobility as possible, And forming a pointer instrument of the type described at the outset, such that both hands are illuminated by the introduction of light from the side opposite the observer.

[0006]

According to the invention, the above object is achieved in that one pointer axis is eccentrically arranged with respect to both concentric scales, and is attached to this eccentric pointer axis. An optical pointer is formed as an optical pointer. The optical pointer is arranged radially on an eccentric pointer shaft, and is rotatable with the pointer shaft. A light guide system formed from a conductor, wherein the light guides of the light guide system each originate at a slight distance from the motion trajectory of the free end of the rotatable light guide. Is solved by being guided to the corresponding concentric scale display element.

[0007]

According to such a pointer meter, a pointer shaft and a pointer drive device which are arranged without requiring two coaxial pointer shafts and corresponding to an eccentric pointer drive device are provided. Without the need for a transmission for bridging the distance between the two, two coaxial displays are possible by means of a pointer drive which is arranged eccentrically to one another. Therefore, the same display kinematics can be obtained as with a pointer instrument having scales eccentrically arranged. Furthermore, the illumination of both hands by the introduction of light is performed without difficulty. The pointer meter according to the invention requires an additional transmission in order to bridge the distance between both pointer drives, as compared to a pointer meter with an eccentric pointer axis and an eccentric scale. As a result, the pointer instrument according to the present invention is inexpensive to manufacture and does not cause an increase in mass to be moved to make the display.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS It is advantageous if the hands arranged corresponding to the hands arranged coaxially with respect to the scale are formed as mechanical hands fixed to the coaxial hands. is there. In such a pointer instrument, a general pointer is provided for the primary display, and therefore it is also customary to read intermediate values between the individual scale lines. In contrast, in an optical display, the lighting elements are only illuminated one after another, so that the display is intermittent. Therefore, this display is suitable for displaying values that require less accurate reading.

According to another configuration of the present invention, if the stationary light guides have different light guiding performances, various effects can be obtained by optical guidelines. As a result, display elements having different brightnesses or display elements having the same brightness despite different distances from the light source can be obtained.

[0010] In order for display elements at different distances from the light source to appear the same brightness, the light guiding performance of the stationary light guide is selected to increase progressively as the length of the light guide increases. .

[0011] Light guiding performance may be affected by differences in the material of the stationary light guide. If the light-guiding performance is determined by the difference in the cross-section of the stationary light guide, the light-guiding performance can be changed particularly simply.

[0012] The stationary light guides each have a region extending substantially parallel to the front surface of the pointer instrument and are bent radially outward to a respective display element of the inner graduation. When guided, the pointer gauge is formed particularly simply.

In the pointer meter according to the invention, if the display element is formed as a scale mark, different scale marks are illuminated in accordance with the respective measured value.

In that case, the display elements can also be colored differently. This makes it possible to clarify a dangerous state, for example, the reaching of a certain remaining amount in the filling level display by appropriate color selection.

In a further embodiment of the invention, at least one display element is formed as a warning display area. In such a case, the appropriate activation control of the pointer drive causes the rotatable light guide to pivot through the corresponding stationary light guide so as to illuminate the desired display area. This can provide an optical warning, for example, if the oil pressure is too low or if the engine water temperature is too high.

For use in motor vehicles, it is particularly advantageous if the mechanical pointer is a part of the vehicle tachometer and the optical pointer is a part of the vehicle speed measuring device.

The present invention allows for various embodiments. Part 1
One is shown in the drawings and described below.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As can be seen from FIG. 1, an indicating instrument provided for incorporation in a motor vehicle, not shown in detail, is formed as an outer scale 1, which is a tachometer scale, and a speed measuring scale. The inner scale 2 is coaxial with each other. The outer scale 1 is shown only in the right part of FIG. 1, so that on the left side of the figure the components located below the scale are visible. A pointer shaft 3 is arranged coaxially on both scales 1 and 2 and supports a mechanical pointer 4 which, in a general form, corresponds to the respective speed of the vehicle. Outer scale 1 to display
Has been reached.

On the inner graduation 2, a display element 5 is provided, which is individually illuminated, so that each predetermined display element is illuminated at a predetermined engine speed. An optical pointer 6 serves for the illumination of the respective display element. The optical pointer has a rotatable light guide 7, which is arranged on a pointer shaft 8 of a pointer drive 9 eccentrically arranged with respect to the pointer shaft 3. . The optical pointer 6 is further provided with a light guide system 10 formed from a plurality of stationary light guides 11. These light guides 11 have different lengths from each other. As can be seen from FIG. 1, for example, the light guide 11a is many times longer than the light guide 11. All light guides 11, 11a
Are guided starting from a small distance with respect to the movement trajectory of the free end of the movable light guide 7 to the display element 5 shown on the right side of the inner scale 2 in the drawing.

FIG. 2 shows a pointer driving device 13 below the printed wiring board 12, and the pointer driving device is a mechanical pointer 4.
Can be driven. Next to the hand drive 13, a hand drive 9 having a hand shaft 8 and a rotatable light guide 7 is seen next to it.
The pointer driving devices 9 and 13 are generally step motors. Similarly, the stationary light guide 11 can be seen. This light guide has an area 14 extending substantially parallel to the front of the pointer instrument.
And a bent portion 15 guided radially outward to the inner scale 2. To illuminate the display element 5 shown in FIG. 1 on the inner scale 2, a light-emitting diode 16 is used, through which light is first transmitted via a light-emitting diode 7 into a rotatable light guide 7. , And then into a respective stationary light guide 11 located in register with the outer end of the rotatable light guide 7.

The mechanical pointer 4 is illuminated by a light emitting diode 17 which can enter light into the pointer 4.

Instead of being a mark on the scale 2, the display element 5 may be a display area illuminated by the rotatable light guide 7 and the fixed light guide 11 as required.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway view of a pointer instrument according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view of a vertical section of a display instrument shifted by an angle of 90 ° compared to FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 outer scale, 2 inner scale, 3 pointer axis,
4 mechanical pointer, 5 display element, 6 optical pointer, 7 rotatable light guide, 8 pointer axis, 9
Pointer driving device, 10 light guide system, 11, 1
1a Stationary light guide, 12 Printed circuit board, 13
Pointer drive, 14 areas, 15 bends, 1
6,17 light emitting diode

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (71) Applicant 390009416 Kruppstrabe 105, Franckfurt am Main, BRD (72) Inventor Joachim Kazarovsky Germany Bad Homburg Fishbacher Strasse 18 F-term (reference) 2F074 AA04 BB06 DD03EE

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A pointer instrument, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising two pointer shafts, each driven by its own pointer drive, and two concentrically arranged, one for each pointer. In the type having a scale, one pointer shaft (8) is arranged eccentrically with respect to both concentric scales (1, 2) and this eccentric pointer shaft (8) ) Is formed as an optical pointer (6), which is arranged radially on an eccentric pointer axis (8) and together with the pointer axis (8). A light guide system (1) formed from a rotatable light guide (7) and a stationary light guide (11, 11a).
0) and the light guide (11,
11a) starting from a small distance with respect to the movement trajectory of the free end of the rotatable light guide (7), respectively, the display elements (5) on the corresponding concentric scale (2). An indicator instrument characterized by being guided to. 2. A pointer (4) arranged corresponding to a pointer shaft (3) arranged coaxially with respect to the scales (1, 2),
Mechanical pointer (4) fixed to coaxial pointer shaft (3)
2. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein the pointer is formed as: 3. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein the fixed light guides have different light guiding performances. 4. The pointer instrument according to claim 3, wherein the light guiding performance of the stationary light guide (11, 11a) is selected to be progressively higher as the length of the light guide (11, 11a) increases. 5. A light guide (11, 11) having a fixed light guiding performance.
5. An indicator according to claim 3, wherein the pointer is determined by the difference in the cross section of a). 6. The stationary light guide (11, 11a) has a region (14) each extending substantially parallel to the front surface of the pointer instrument, and has a bend (radial outside) thereof. 15) each one of the inner scales (2)
6. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein the pointer is guided to one display element. 7. The pointer instrument according to claim 6, wherein the display element is formed as a scale mark. 8. The pointer instrument according to claim 6, wherein the display element is colored differently. 9. At least one display element (5)
9. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein the indicator is formed as a warning display area. 10. The mechanical pointer (4) is part of a tachometer of the motor vehicle and the optical pointer (6) is part of a rotational speed measuring device of the motor vehicle. Pointer meter according to item 1.